Sharing information in a multi-tenant database system

ABSTRACT

Data related to a product is received from a first subscriber and stored into a first section of the on-demand database reserved for the first subscriber. The first subscriber then communicates a request to share the product data with one or more second subscribers. Once the first subscriber receives an acceptance from the one or more second subscribers, the product data is stored in a second section of the on-demand database reserved for the second subscriber. Changes made to the data associated with the product are synchronized between the two subscribers.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/693,374, filed Jan. 25, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,286,364), whichclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Appl. No. 61/146968, filed Jan. 23,2009; the disclosures of each of the above-referenced applications areincorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to commonly owned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/145,325 entitled “Method and System For Sharing Data BetweenSubscribers of a Multi-Tenant Database Service” by Doshi et. al., filedJun. 24, 2008, and provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 61/096,289entitled “Automating Sharing Data Between Subscribers Of A Multi-TenantDatabase Service” by Doshi et. al., filed Sep. 11, 2008, the disclosuresof which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to sharing data among businesspartners, and more particularly to sharing data in supply chain partnersvia a multi-tenant database service.

BACKGROUND

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not beassumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in thebackground section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the backgroundsection or associated with the subject matter of the background sectionshould not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the priorart. The subject matter in the background section merely representsdifferent approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.

In conventional supply chain operation, the different business partnerscommunicate via e-mail, fax, or phone call. One of the business partnersmay run a particular application on its own database system to which theother entities log onto and enter data by hand. The different businesspartners also enter data into their own database systems. This processis cumbersome, time-consuming, and tends to cause inaccuracies.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that allowcompanies to easily share information, e.g. in a supply chain.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms andmethods for sharing product data among business partners in a supplychain via a multi-tenant database service. These mechanisms and methodsfor sharing product data or other information can enable businesspartners to receive real-time and automatic updates to an order, anoffer, product, or other object or part of a supply chain. A tenant(also called a subscriber or organization) of the multi-tenant databasesystem can store data specific to that tenant in the multi-tenant database system. Data associated with a product can be shared betweendifferent subscribers, who are or potentially will become businesspartners. The ability of embodiments to share data can enable partnersto share deals and create new business opportunities. Embodiments canallow organizations to effectively prepare and educate employees,partners, and users around new features in each product release.

In an embodiment and by way of example, a method of sharing product datainvolved in a supply chain among a plurality of subscribers to anon-demand database is provided. Data related to a product is receivedfrom a first of the subscribers. From the data, a product object iscreated in a section of the on-demand data base that is accessiblyrestricted to the first subscriber. A request to share the productobject is communicated to one or more second subscribers. An acceptanceof a second subscriber is received. Data associated with the productobject is received in a section of the on-demand data base that isreserved for the second subscriber. Changes made to the product objectare synchronized between the two subscribers.

In another embodiment and by way of example, a system that implementsthe method of sharing product data involved in a supply chain among aplurality of subscribers to an on-demand database is provided. Thesystem includes one or more processors which send, receive and storedata associated with a product object in an on demand database after arequest is sent from a first subscriber to a second subscriber. Therequest is accepted by the second subscriber before the shared productobject data is stored in the on-demand database in a location accessibleby both the first and second subscriber. In addition, the shared productobject data is synchronized between the two subscribers.

In another embodiment and by way of example, a computer program productstored on a tangible computer readable medium storing a plurality ofinstructions for controlling one or more processors of an on-demanddatabase system to perform an operation for sharing product data in asupply chain among a plurality of subscribers is provided. The computerprogram product includes instructions to receive a data related to aproduct by a first subscriber, communicate a request to share theproduct object with one or more second subscribers, accept an invitationform the second subscriber, store data associated with the sharedproduct object on the on demand database and synchronous the databetween the two subscribers.

Reference to the remaining portions of the specification, including thedrawings and claims, will realize other features and advantages of thepresent invention. Further features and advantages of the presentinvention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodimentsof the present invention, are described in detail below with respect tothe accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbersindicate identical or functionally similar elements.

While the present invention is described with reference to an embodimentin which techniques for methods and systems for sharing information in asupply chain are implemented in a system having an application serverproviding a front end for an on-demand database service capable ofsupporting multiple tenants, the present invention is not limited tomulti-tenant databases nor deployment on application servers.Embodiments may be practiced using other database architectures, i.e.,ORACLE®, DB2® by IBM and the like without departing from the scope ofthe embodiments claimed.

Any of the above embodiments may be used alone or together with oneanother in any combination. Inventions encompassed within thisspecification may also include embodiments that are only partiallymentioned or alluded to or are not mentioned or alluded to at all inthis brief summary or in the abstract. Although various embodiments ofthe invention may have been motivated by various deficiencies with theprior art, which may be discussed or alluded to in one or more places inthe specification, the embodiments of the invention do not necessarilyaddress any of these deficiencies. In other words, different embodimentsof the invention may address different deficiencies that may bediscussed in the specification. Some embodiments may only partiallyaddress some deficiencies or just one deficiency that may be discussedin the specification, and some embodiments may not address any of thesedeficiencies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following drawings like reference numbers are used to refer tolike elements. Although the following figures depict various examples ofthe invention, the invention is not limited to the examples depicted inthe figures.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a block diagram of an environment wherein anon-demand database service might be used and various possibleinterconnections between these elements according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for sharing data in asupply chain in an on-demand database according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for initial setup in anon-demand database according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate application flows for sending a survey to apartner in an on-demand database according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 5A-5M illustrate application flows for creating invitationtemplates according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary screenshot of connection detailaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for sharing information in asupply chain according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 8A-8C illustrates an application flow for publishing objectsaccording to an embodiment.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrates an application flow for subscribing to objectsaccording to an embodiment.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate application flows for modifying the page layoutaccording to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention can provide business collaborationboth within and across organizations. Users can share leads,opportunities, cases and other information with their business partnersand get real-time updates on the shared data. Embodiments may useproprietary connectivity or standards based connectivity (e.g. XML, W3C)

Various embodiments can enable a user of a database system to shareopportunity products on opportunities, define templates that ease theprocess of connecting with companies, allow users to share the samerecord with multiple partners, and add certain API functions that willallow users to create custom rules to forward and stop sharing recordswith connections.

General Overview

Systems and methods are provided for sharing information in a supplychain. These techniques for sharing information in a supply chain canenable embodiments to provide efficiently and accurately communicateinformation about one or more business transactions among multiplebusinesses.

As used herein, the term multi-tenant database system refers to thosesystems in which various elements of hardware and software of thedatabase system may be shared by one or more customers. For example, agiven application server (e g running an application process) maysimultaneously process requests for a great number of customers, and agiven database table may store rows for a potentially much greaternumber of customers.

Next, mechanisms and methods for providing controlling access to customobjects in a database system will be described with reference to exampleembodiments.

System Overview

FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of an environment 10 wherein anon-demand database service might be used. Environment 10 may includeuser systems 12, network 14, system 16, processor system 17, applicationplatform 18, network interface 20, tenant data storage 22, system datastorage 24, program code 26, and process space 28. In other embodiments,environment 10 may not have all of the components listed and/or may haveother elements instead of, or in addition to, those listed above.

Environment 10 is an environment in which an on-demand database serviceexists. User system 12 may be any machine or system that is used by auser to access a database user system. For example, any of user systems12 can be a handheld computing device, a mobile phone, a laptopcomputer, a work station, and/or a network of computing devices. Asillustrated in FIG. 1 (and in more detail in FIG. 2) user systems 12might interact via a network 14 with an on-demand database service,which is system 16.

An on-demand database service, such as system 16, is a database systemthat is made available to outside users that do not need to necessarilybe concerned with building and/or maintaining the database system, butinstead may be available for their use when the users need the databasesystem (e.g., on the demand of the users). Some on-demand databaseservices may store information from one or more tenants stored intotables of a common database image to form a multi-tenant database system(MTS). Accordingly, “on-demand database service 16” and “system 16” willbe used interchangeably herein. A database image may include one or moredatabase objects. A relational database management system (RDMS) or theequivalent may execute storage and retrieval of information against thedatabase object(s). Application platform 18 may be a framework thatallows the applications of system 16 to run, such as the hardware and/orsoftware, e.g., the operating system. In an embodiment, on-demanddatabase service 16 may include an application platform 18 that enablescreation, managing and executing one or more applications developed bythe provider of the on-demand database service, users accessing theon-demand database service via user systems 12, or third partyapplication developers accessing the on-demand database service via usersystems 12.

The users of user systems 12 may differ in their respective capacities,and the capacity of a particular user system 12 might be entirelydetermined by permissions (permission levels) for the current user. Forexample, where a salesperson is using a particular user system 12 tointeract with system 16, that user system has the capacities allotted tothat salesperson. However, while an administrator is using that usersystem to interact with system 16, that user system has the capacitiesallotted to that administrator. In systems with a hierarchical rolemodel, users at one permission level may have access to applications,data, and database information accessible by a lower permission leveluser, but may not have access to certain applications, databaseinformation, and data accessible by a user at a higher permission level.Thus, different users will have different capabilities with regard toaccessing and modifying application and database information, dependingon a user's security or permission level.

Network 14 is any network or combination of networks of devices thatcommunicate with one another. For example, network 14 can be any one orany combination of a LAN (local area network), WAN (wide area network),telephone network, wireless network, point-to-point network, starnetwork, token ring network, hub network, or other appropriateconfiguration. As the most common type of computer network in currentuse is a TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol)network, such as the global internetwork of networks often referred toas the “Internet” with a capital “I,” that network will be used in manyof the examples herein. However, it should be understood that thenetworks that the present invention might use are not so limited,although TCP/IP is a frequently implemented protocol.

User systems 12 might communicate with system 16 using TCP/IP and, at ahigher network level, use other common Internet protocols tocommunicate, such as HTTP, FTP, AFS, WAP, etc. In an example where HTTPis used, user system 12 might include an HTTP client commonly referredto as a “browser” for sending and receiving HTTP messages to and from anHTTP server at system 16. Such an HTTP server might be implemented asthe sole network interface between system 16 and network 14, but othertechniques might be used as well or instead. In some implementations,the interface between system 16 and network 14 includes load sharingfunctionality, such as round-robin HTTP request distributors to balanceloads and distribute incoming HTTP requests evenly over a plurality ofservers. At least as for the users that are accessing that server, eachof the plurality of servers has access to the MTS' data; however, otheralternative configurations may be used instead.

In one embodiment, system 16, shown in FIG. 1A, implements a web-basedcustomer relationship management (CRM) system. For example, in oneembodiment, system 16 includes application servers configured toimplement and execute CRM software applications (application processes)as well as provide related data, code, forms, web pages and otherinformation to and from user systems 12 and to store to, and retrievefrom, a database system related data, objects, and Webpage content. Witha multi-tenant system, data for multiple tenants may be stored in thesame physical database object, however, tenant data typically isarranged so that data of one tenant is kept logically separate from thatof other tenants so that one tenant does not have access to anothertenant's data, unless such data is expressly shared. In certainembodiments, system 16 implements applications other than, or inaddition to, a CRM application. For example, system 16 may providetenant access to multiple hosted (standard and custom) applications,including a CRM application. User (or third party developer)applications, which may or may not include CRM, may be supported by theapplication platform 18, which manages creation, storage of theapplications into one or more database objects and executing of theapplications in a virtual machine in the process space of the system 16.

One arrangement for elements of system 16 is shown in FIG. 1A, includinga network interface 20, application platform 18, tenant data storage 22for tenant data 23, system data storage 24 for system data 25 accessibleto system 16 and possibly multiple tenants, program code 26 forimplementing various functions of system 16, and a process space 28 forexecuting MTS system processes and tenant-specific processes, such asrunning applications as part of an application hosting service.Additional processes that may execute on system 16 include databaseindexing processes.

Several elements in the system shown in FIG. 1A include conventional,well-known elements that are explained only briefly here. For example,each user system 12 could include a desktop personal computer,workstation, laptop, PDA, cell phone, or any wireless access protocol(WAP) enabled device or any other computing device capable ofinterfacing directly or indirectly to the Internet or other networkconnection. User system 12 typically runs an HTTP client, e.g., abrowsing program, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser,Netscape's Navigator browser, Opera's browser, or a WAP-enabled browserin the case of a cell phone, PDA or other wireless device, or the like,allowing a user (e.g., subscriber of the multi-tenant database system)of user system 12 to access, process and view information, pages andapplications available to it from system 16 over network 14. Each usersystem 12 also typically includes one or more user interface devices,such as a keyboard, a mouse, trackball, touch pad, touch screen, pen orthe like, for interacting with a graphical user interface (GUI) providedby the browser on a display (e.g., a monitor screen, LCD display, etc.)in conjunction with pages, forms, applications and other informationprovided by system 16 or other systems or servers. For example, the userinterface device can be used to access data and applications hosted bysystem 16, and to perform searches on stored data, and otherwise allow auser to interact with various GUI pages that may be presented to a user.As discussed above, embodiments are suitable for use with the Internet,which refers to a specific global internetwork of networks. However, itshould be understood that other networks can be used instead of theInternet, such as an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network(VPN), a non-TCP/IP based network, any LAN or WAN or the like.

According to one embodiment, each user system 12 and all of itscomponents are operator configurable using applications, such as abrowser, including computer code run using a central processing unitsuch as an Intel Pentium® processor or the like. Similarly, system 16(and additional instances of an MTS, where more than one is present) andall of their components might be operator configurable usingapplication(s) including computer code to run using a central processingunit such as processor system 17, which may include an Intel Pentium®processor or the like, and/or multiple processor units. A computerprogram product embodiment includes a machine-readable storage medium(media) having instructions stored thereon/in which can be used toprogram a computer to perform any of the processes of the embodimentsdescribed herein. Computer code for operating and configuring system 16to intercommunicate and to process web pages, applications and otherdata and media content as described herein are preferably downloaded andstored on a hard disk, but the entire program code, or portions thereof,may also be stored in any other volatile or non-volatile memory mediumor device as is well known, such as a ROM or RAM, or provided on anymedia capable of storing program code, such as any type of rotatingmedia including floppy disks, optical discs, digital versatile disk(DVD), compact disk (CD), microdrive, and magneto-optical disks, andmagnetic or optical cards, nanosystems (including molecular memory ICs),or any type of media or device suitable for storing instructions and/ordata. Additionally, the entire program code, or portions thereof, may betransmitted and downloaded from a software source over a transmissionmedium, e.g., over the Internet, or from another server, as is wellknown, or transmitted over any other conventional network connection asis well known (e.g., extranet, VPN, LAN, etc.) using any communicationmedium and protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, Ethernet, etc.) as arewell known. It will also be appreciated that computer code forimplementing embodiments of the present invention can be implemented inany programming language that can be executed on a client system and/orserver or server system such as, for example, C, C++, HTML, any othermarkup language, Java™, JavaScript, ActiveX, any other scriptinglanguage, such as VBScript, and many other programming languages as arewell known may be used. (Java™ is a trademark of Sun Microsystems,Inc.).

According to one embodiment, each system 16 is configured to provide webpages, forms, applications, data and media content to user (client)systems 12 to support the access by user systems 12 as tenants of system16. As such, system 16 provides security mechanisms to keep eachtenant's data separate unless the data is shared. If more than one MTSis used, they may be located in close proximity to one another (e.g., ina server farm located in a single building or campus), or they may bedistributed at locations remote from one another (e.g., one or moreservers located in city A and one or more servers located in city B). Asused herein, each MTS could include one or more logically and/orphysically connected servers distributed locally or across one or moregeographic locations. Additionally, the term “server” is meant toinclude a computer system, including processing hardware and processspace(s), and an associated storage system and database application(e.g., OODBMS or RDBMS) as is well known in the art. It should also beunderstood that “server system” and “server” are often usedinterchangeably herein. Similarly, the database object described hereincan be implemented as single databases, a distributed database, acollection of distributed databases, a database with redundant online oroffline backups or other redundancies, etc., and might include adistributed database or storage network and associated processingintelligence.

FIG. 1B also illustrates environment 10. However, in FIG. 1B elements ofsystem 16 and various interconnections in an embodiment are furtherillustrated. FIG. 1B shows that user system 12 may include processorsystem 12A, memory system 12B, input system 12C, and output system 12D.FIG. 1B shows network 14 and system 16. FIG. 1B also shows that system16 may include tenant data storage 22, tenant data 23, system datastorage 24, system data 25, User Interface (UI) 30, Application ProgramInterface (API) 32, PL/SOQL 34, save routines 36, application setupmechanism 38, applications servers 100 ₁-100 _(N), system process space102, tenant process spaces 104, tenant management process space 110,tenant storage area 112, user storage 114, and application metadata 116.In other embodiments, environment 10 may not have the same elements asthose listed above and/or may have other elements instead of, or inaddition to, those listed above.

User system 12, network 14, system 16, tenant data storage 22, andsystem data storage 24 were discussed above in FIG. 1A. Regarding usersystem 12, processor system 12A may be any combination of one or moreprocessors. Memory system 12B may be any combination of one or morememory devices, short term, and/or long term memory. Input system 12Cmay be any combination of input devices, such as one or more keyboards,mice, trackballs, scanners, cameras, and/or interfaces to networks.Output system 12D may be any combination of output devices, such as oneor more monitors, printers, and/or interfaces to networks. As shown byFIG. 1B, system 16 may include a network interface 20 (of FIG. 1A)implemented as a set of HTTP application servers 100, an applicationplatform 18, tenant data storage 22, and system data storage 24. Alsoshown is system process space 102, including individual tenant processspaces 104 and a tenant management process space 110. Each applicationserver 100 may be configured to tenant data storage 22 and the tenantdata 23 therein, and system data storage 24 and the system data 25therein to serve requests of user systems 12. The tenant data 23 mightbe divided into individual tenant storage areas 112, which can be eithera physical arrangement and/or a logical arrangement of data. Within eachtenant storage area 112, user storage 114 and application metadata 116might be similarly allocated for each user. For example, a copy of auser's most recently used (MRU) items might be stored to user storage114. Similarly, a copy of MRU items for an entire organization that is atenant might be stored to tenant storage area 112. A UI 30 provides auser interface and an API 32 provides an application programmerinterface to system 16 resident processes to users and/or developers atuser systems 12. The tenant data and the system data may be stored invarious databases, such as one or more Oracle™ databases.

Application platform 18 includes an application setup mechanism 38 thatsupports application developers' creation and management ofapplications, which may be saved as metadata into tenant data storage 22by save routines 36 for execution by subscribers as one or more tenantprocess spaces 104 managed by tenant management process 110 for example.Invocations to such applications may be coded using PL/SOQL 34 thatprovides a programming language style interface extension to API 32. Adetailed description of some PL/SOQL language embodiments is discussedin commonly owned co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application60/828,192 entitled, PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOREXTENDING APIS TO EXECUTE IN CONJUNCTION WITH DATABASE APIS, by CraigWeissman, filed Oct. 4, 2006, which is incorporated in its entiretyherein for all purposes. Invocations to applications may be detected byone or more system processes, which manages retrieving applicationmetadata 116 for the subscriber making the invocation and executing themetadata as an application in a virtual machine.

Each application server 100 may be communicably coupled to databasesystems, e.g., having access to system data 25 and tenant data 23, via adifferent network connection. For example, one application server 100 ₁might be coupled via the network 14 (e.g., the Internet), anotherapplication server 100 _(N-1) might be coupled via a direct networklink, and another application server 100 _(N) might be coupled by yet adifferent network connection. Transfer Control Protocol and InternetProtocol (TCP/IP) are typical protocols for communicating betweenapplication servers 100 and the database system. However, it will beapparent to one skilled in the art that other transport protocols may beused to optimize the system depending on the network interconnect used.

In certain embodiments, each application server 100 is configured tohandle requests for any user associated with any organization that is atenant. Because it is desirable to be able to add and remove applicationservers from the server pool at any time for any reason, there ispreferably no server affinity for a user and/or organization to aspecific application server 100. In one embodiment, therefore, aninterface system implementing a load balancing function (e.g., an F5Big-IP load balancer) is communicably coupled between the applicationservers 100 and the user systems 12 to distribute requests to theapplication servers 100. In one embodiment, the load balancer uses aleast connections algorithm to route user requests to the applicationservers 100. Other examples of load balancing algorithms, such as roundrobin and observed response time, also can be used. For example, incertain embodiments, three consecutive requests from the same user couldhit three different application servers 100, and three requests fromdifferent users could hit the same application server 100. In thismanner, system 16 is multi-tenant, wherein system 16 handles storage of,and access to, different objects, data and applications across disparateusers and organizations.

As an example of storage, one tenant might be a company that employs asales force where each salesperson uses system 16 to manage their salesprocess. Thus, a user might maintain contact data, leads data, customerfollow-up data, performance data, goals and progress data, etc., allapplicable to that user's personal sales process (e.g., in tenant datastorage 22). In an example of a MTS arrangement, since all of the dataand the applications to access, view, modify, report, transmit,calculate, etc., can be maintained and accessed by a user system havingnothing more than network access, the user can manage his or her salesefforts and cycles from any of many different user systems. For example,if a salesperson is visiting a customer and the customer has Internetaccess in their lobby, the salesperson can obtain critical updates as tothat customer while waiting for the customer to arrive in the lobby.

While each user's data might be separate from other users' dataregardless of the employers of each user, some data might beorganization-wide data shared or accessible by a plurality of users orall of the users for a given organization that is a tenant. Thus, theremight be some data structures managed by system 16 that are allocated atthe tenant level while other data structures might be managed at theuser level. Because an MTS might support multiple tenants includingpossible competitors, the MTS should have security protocols that keepdata, applications, and application use separate. Also, because manytenants may opt for access to an MTS rather than maintain their ownsystem, redundancy, up-time, and backup are additional functions thatmay be implemented in the MTS. In addition to user-specific data andtenant-specific data, system 16 might also maintain system level datausable by multiple tenants or other data. Such system level data mightinclude industry reports, news, postings, and the like that are sharableamong tenants.

In certain embodiments, user systems 12 (which may be client systems)communicate with application servers 100 to request and updatesystem-level and tenant-level data from system 16 that may requiresending one or more queries to tenant data storage 22 and/or system datastorage 24. System 16 (e.g., an application server 100 in system 16)automatically generates one or more SQL statements (e.g., one or moreSQL queries) that are designed to access the desired information. Systemdata storage 24 may generate query plans to access the requested datafrom the database.

A table generally contains one or more data categories logicallyarranged as columns or fields in a viewable schema. Each row or recordof a table contains an instance of data for each category defined by thefields. For example, a CRM database may include a table that describes acustomer with fields for basic contact information such as name,address, phone number, fax number, etc. Another table might describe apurchase order, including fields for information such as customer,product, sale price, date, etc.

In some multi-tenant database systems, tenants may be allowed to createand store custom objects, or they may be allowed to customize standardentities or objects, for example by creating custom fields for standardobjects, including custom index fields. U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/817,161, filed Apr. 2, 2004, entitled “Custom Entities and Fields ina Multi-Tenant Database System”, and which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference, teaches systems and methods for creating custom objects aswell as customizing standard objects in a multi-tenant database system.

Set-up and Sharing of Data Between Tenants

FIG. 2 provides a flow diagram of method 200 of how data related to aproduct is shared among different companies in a supply chain accordingto embodiments of the present invention. A user can initially set up adatabase system to allow such sharing. For example, the informationstored by one tenant may be made available to another tenant. In oneaspect, the tenancy within the database is established between partnersprior to sharing.

In step 201, a user may set up their database in order to establish aconnection with a contact, or partner. Initial set-up may includeenabling sharing capabilities, establishing tenancy within the databaseand inviting a contact to create a connection. A user may communicatewith the a contact in order to create such a connection through an emailinvitation in the form of a survey. A connection is created between auser and a contact when the contact acknowledges use of the databaseand, in some embodiments, their permissions to share data with otherpartners in database.

In step 202, the user may invite a connection to share data objectswithin their database. The user may customize templates in order tocreate an invitation. The customization may also include selected fieldsrelating to that object which are going to be shared with a connection.The invitation templates may be applied to multiple connections orindividually customized per each connection. The connection needs toaccept the invitation prior to sharing the data offered.

When the invitation is accepted, the structure of how an object andfields related to that shared object is defined within the connection'sdatabase. For example, the object is mapped to an object and the fieldsare mapped to corresponding fields in that object. The connection willthen have an object and fields within their database matching thoseshared by the user. If new fields are added at a later point, thisstructure is updated in the connection's system. Accordingly, when therecord is shared with a connection, the record is correctly mapped to aconnections' database based on the object mapping.

In step 203, the user may share data with a connection. The shared datarecords may be modified after they are shared. In addition, new recordsmay be shared with a connection upon invitation and by a user publishingand subscribing to additional records which are available for sharing.The data shared may be in the form of object data, such as products,opportunities, leads, etc. In the case of the aforementioned objects,the shared data record is made available to partners within a supplychain allowing for an improved business relationship and development.

The aforementioned method for sharing data between data base users isdiscussed in further detail in the following sections.

Initial Set-Up

In some embodiments, in order to begin a sharing process betweendifferent tenants of a multi-tenant database, an initial connection canbe established. In one embodiment, the connection may only beestablished if both tenants are both subscribers to a same databasesystem (e.g., system 16).

FIG. 3 provides a flow diagram of a method 300 of establishing aconnection of a first organization (subscriber) with another subscriberof the database system according to embodiments of the presentinvention. Method 300 can discover which partners may be a tenant in amulti-tenant database, enable settings and configurations, and invite aconnection. Herein, a connection is the establishment of an ability toshare information between the two subscribers of the multi-tenantdatabase system. In one embodiment, method 300 can be used to implementstep 201 of method 200.

In step 301, a user of the first organization establishes a user accountand logs into the system. The user may be an administrator or anotheruser of the system that has access to that particular tenant'sinformation, dependent on the permissions established by theadministrator. Such permission are discussed in more detail in thepermissions section of the disclosure.

Within a database of an embodiment, many users may be allowed to accessrecords within one tenant location. For instance, a salesclerk in aretail location may have access to the retail owner's account within thedatabase. However, the owner may only wish the salesclerk to havespecific privileges, or permissions within the system. In oneembodiment, in order to establish a connection with a partnerorganization, the user has administrative privileges. In addition, inorder to modify email templates and settings within the system, the useralso has these administrative privileges. Accordingly, such privileges,or permissions can be established for each type of user profile in atenancy in order for certain records to be viewed and for modificationsto those records to be made.

In step 302, the user determines whether a connection with a businesspartner is possible. In one embodiment, the user requests the databasesystem to send an e-mail to the business partner. The e-mail can requirea response that is used to determine whether the business partner is asubscriber.

The user can customize the e-mail through an e-mail template, such aswith a company logo or slogan. An end user that is using the templatecan further tailor the e-mail to the specific partner. The electronicmessage may include a welcome message and explanation as to the purposeof the email, as well as fields, radio buttons and other data elementsfor the receiving party to select as part of the response. For example,the fields provided may ask whether the receiving party utilized thedatabase and what types of permissions they have to within theirorganization. The customized email may then be sent to the contact at apartner organization.

Essentially, the e-mail provides a survey of the companies available onthe database to the user. The survey information is collected when thereceiving party provides answers to the questions provided. Theinformation provided may then be automatically stored within thedatabase in records relating to the user's partners, which have beenentered into the database previously. Accordingly, if a partner respondsto the email survey providing they are a tenant within the database,such information is noted in the user's database under that particularpartner's record as a part of the partner's contact information. Inaddition, the administrative privileges, or permissions allowed to partyreceiving the email is also noted in the partner's record.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary screenshot of a customized email thatmay be received by a partner in the database. As shown, the emailincludes a welcome message 408 the user's customized logo 401 and fields403, with drop down lists and radio buttons, to answer the surveyquestions. In some embodiments, a language selection field 402 may beprovided in order to facilitate the needs of the receiving party. If thereceiving party, or partner contact, is a tenant within the database anddoes not have administrative privileges within the organization, theymay additionally provide contact information 404 for an administrator oruser with higher permissions. The contact information may be manuallyentered into additional fields provided on the survey.

Once the survey is complete, the partner contacted may submit 405 theinformation through the click of a button. The information isautomatically received by the user of the database and entered into thepartner's contact record within their database. As shown in FIG. 4C, ifa new contact is provided in the response to the survey 404, thisinformation may be automatically entered to create a new contact on thedatabase under that partner's record. Each contact, both the originallyemailed contact, FIG. 4B, and the newly established contact, FIG. 4C,have indications on their contact records of privileges and databaseusage, 406, 407. Accordingly, the database tenant to tenant connectionis established and sharing between the two tenants may be enabled.

Referring back to FIG. 3, in step 303, to enable sharing betweentenants, each tenant individually enables the sharing settings of thedatabase. A reminder message may also be included in the initial emailsurvey sent to the user's partner to perform this step. In someembodiments, once the setting is enabled, it may not be disabled. Afterenabling the setting, sharing is allowed between all partners with whoma connection is established. Such connections are discussed in moredetail in the sharing section of the disclosure.

To enable the setting 303, the user can enter into the set-up menu ofthe database. Such enablement may only be done by users havingadministrative privileges. Because the enablement is irreversible insome embodiments, a warning, or similar precautionary message may beprovided to the user when such a selection is made. The user can thenselect enablement and save the settings.

Next, the user can initialize a sharing connection between the partnerhaving tenancy in the database. The database additionally has emailtemplates for this purpose. In some embodiments, these templates mayonly be customized and sent by an administrative user. The templates mayinclude initial invitation emails to establish a connection with apartner organization, or acceptance, rejection or deactivation emailsfor use once a connection is established.

The customizable template may also include a message from the user ofthe system, along with a URL in the body of the email. The URL isprovided in order for the receiving party, or partner organization, toeasily accept the invitation and establish a connection with the user.At this point, a connection is established between the two partnerorganizations and sharing may begin.

Referring again to FIG. 3, in step 304, for connections permissions tobe given to a user, a “manage connections” permissions is selected by anadministrator for each user profile. These permissions is automaticallyprovided to the administrator. This particular permissions is associatedwith the CRM to CRM database connections and sharing between suchconnections. These permissions allows a user of the system to not onlyaccess the connections within their records, but also access a tabrelated to templates for making those connections. These permissionsalso allows a user to send, accept and manage connections with anotherdatabase user. In addition, the permissions, allows a user to mass sharerecords between multiple partners at one time. Mass sharing will bediscussed further in the sharing section and may be accomplished throughselecting a “forward to connections” button on object pages. Dataobjects, such as contacts, may be updated. Accordingly, if data relatedto an object is modified, this type of mass sharing may be useful inorder to update the shared information in the database user's recordsand to notify other database users of the update to that sharedinformation. All administrative level users automatically have this“manage connections” permissions enabled and may select which userprofiles can also have these permissions.

In step 305, the administrator may add a connections tab to the pagelayouts of the profiles having the “manage connections” permissions. Inthe database, the user can build applications in order to customizescreen views within their account. As will be discussed further in theAPI access section, customized applications and instructions may becreated by the user as well. However, a standard application andstandard tab label is provided in the database and may be selected forconnections. Adding this tab allows users to see contact information ofthe database connections, communicate with those connections, and sharerecords with those connections.

In step 306, the user may then create a template in order to invite aconnection to share certain objects. In one embodiment, step 306 can beperformed during step 202 of method 200. The actions defining how andwhat about an object is shared may be automated for connections. In oneembodiment, the automation may be performed using templates. Templatesallow a user to pre-define publish object and field rules as well asassign active templates to one or more connections. This feature cansimplify and streamline the process of setting up connections and allowusers to easily connect with thousands of their business partnerswithout any hindrance.

Invitation templates allow users to create pre-defined templatesorganized by partner type. In one embodiment, connections using thetemplate automatically inherit all the published objects and fieldrules. For large scale implementations, templates ease theadministration of connections and allow users to change the sharingrules with connections with the click of a button.

In one aspect, templates are a sub-tab in the connections main tab so asto show the association with “Connections”. In another aspect, onlyadministrators and users with the Manage Connections user profile cancreate, edit and view templates.

Users can define the name of the template, activate the template, andidentify the objects and fields that are published when this template isassociated to an invitation or existing connection (active or sent).

In one embodiment, the assigning of a template to a New/Existingconnection is as follows. The assigning allows an administrator (admin)or user with Manage Connections permission to associate the template toeither a new invitation or existing connection (active or sent). Theabove can be done via the ‘Invite to Connect’ mass invite action on theContacts tab, ‘New’ invite action on the Connections tab and by editingan active or sent invitation and changing the template association(lookup field to the Templates object). In one aspect, only activetemplates can be associated to a connection. Though if a template isdeactivated, there will be no impact on connections using this template.

In another embodiment, when the template is applied to a connection thenthe template's “Publish” object and field rules are applied to theconnection. New objects/fields may be automatically added to the Publishdefinition of the connection. If the objects and fields already exist inthe connection, then no update should take place on these objects/fields(no un-pub/pub). If an object/field exists on the connection thatdoesn't exist on the template, then the object/field will be unpublishedautomatically. A notification message may be sent when an object/fieldis added or removed from the connection.

An updated template may be applied to all connections using thetemplate. For example, imagine a template is being used by one or moreconnections. If the template is edited by changing either the PublishedObject or Field definition, the user should have the ability to applythe changes to all the connections using the template. Again, similarrules as described above may apply. In one aspect, a special button oneach template Apply to Connections' performs this action of applying anupdated template.

In one embodiment, templates are packagable so that the user can exportthe templates and associated Publish object and field definitions andpublish the same on the service platform. The packaged templates shouldalso be available for download by users. When the package is downloaded,all the associated objects (which may be done just for custom objects)and fields are also created in the organization downloading the package.

FIGS. 5A-5M illustrate application flows for implementing invitationtemplates according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5A shows a template tab 501 as a sub-tab on the main Connectionstab to show the relationship to Connections. In one embodiment, a NewTemplate defines a template name, Owner, Active status with the abilityto Save or Save and Publish Objects. The new tab 502 may be selected tocreate a new template. The templates may be created by class of partner,e.g., gold, bronze, or other status associated with a class of partnersfor a subscriber.

FIG. 5B shows that fields of a template may include a template name,description and active status. In one aspect, only Template Name is arequired field. FIG. 5B shows two possible Actions: (1) ‘Save’ 503,which only saves the header level information; and (2) ‘Save and PublishObjects’ 504, which not only saves the header level information but alsotakes the user to the Publish Objects page.

FIG. 5C shows a screen shot for publishing objects according to anembodiment of the present invention. As discussed previously, theseobjects may be customized objects or include objects such as leads,opportunities, accounts, contacts, tasks, product catalog andopportunity products, cases and case comments and attachments amongothers. All available objects for sharing will be displayed to the userupon creation of a connection invitation template.

FIG. 5D shows a screenshot for publishing fields. In a first step, anedit link 605 next to object is selected. FIG. 5E shows a second step,where standard and custom fields to publish and save are selected. Thesefields all point to specific records of a given object.

FIG. 5F shows a screen shot for editing 506 a template. In oneembodiment, the ability to change an existing template provides some orall the fields being editable, including the Publish Objects/Fieldssection.

FIG. 5G shows a screenshot for applying Changes to Connections button507 on the template. After a template is initially made, fields sharedwith that connection or status of that connection may be modified. Suchchanges are then applied to all connections having that invitationtemplate. Accordingly, all active and sent invitations will updateaccording to the change.

FIG. 5H shows a screenshot for assigning a template to multipleinvitations in the ‘Invite to Connect’ flow. In a first step, contactsare picked to send invitations using the ‘Invite to Connect’ action 508on the Contact tab. Only users with “manage connections” permission willsee this tab on the contacts page. The user may decide to apply anactive invitation template to all new invitations for connections, ormay decide to assign specific templates to each individual invitation.

Accordingly, FIG. 5I shows an embodiment, where an Active Template isassigned to the Connections. FIG. 5J shows a step three, whereinvitations are sent to all contacts. In one embodiment, PublishedObjects/Fields (as defined by template) are automatically assigned tothe Connections.

FIG. 5K shows a screenshot for assigning a template to one newinvitation using the “New” option 509 on the Connections tab or edit anexisting connection and add the template. In a first step, a newconnection is created. FIG. 5L shows a second step, where an ActiveTemplate is assigned to a Connection. FIG. 5M shows a third step ofSaving and Sending 510 an invitation. In one embodiment, PublishedObjects/Fields (as defined by template) are automatically assigned to aConnection.

In an exemplary embodiment, a vendor can have 3 partner tiers, Platinum,Gold and Bronze partners. The channel manager (CM) may want to shareLeads, Opportunities, MDF's and Orders with the platinum tier; shareLeads and Opportunities with Gold; and share only Leads with Bronze.Using templates, the CM can define right to the field level the sharingrules by partner by associating the right template to the connections(i.e. Platinum template to platinum partners). Additionally, if the CMwants to add an object or field to one of the templates, the abilityexists at automatically update all the connections with the change—withthe click of a button.

Referring back to the method in FIG. 3, in step 307, the user may thensend the customized invitation template to a contact with establishedtenancy in the database and make a connection. After receiving aninvitation via email or similar electronic means, the recipient may loginto the database and view the invitation. In some embodiments, theconnection invitation provides date, time, contact and shared objectinformation from the sender of the invitation. The recipient may“Accept”, “Decline” or “Decide Later” on the invitation. However, theuser needs to accept the invitation in order to share an object. Onlyusers with “manage connections” permissions may accept the invitation.

Once the invitation is accepted, the shared records are mapped torecords in the recipients account and may be viewed. The user, or senderof the invitation, may view the shared data in the connection details ofthe partner with whom the connection is established. FIG. 7 shows oneembodiment of an exemplary screenshot of an individual connection. Theconnection details provide the invitation template name, which definesthe objects and fields shared with the connection, as well as contactinformation, connection status and other relevant information. Inaddition, the connection details may provide a view of what objects andfields are both shared by that connection and subscribed to by the user.All objects and fields may be edited by selecting a link next to theobject name. If any modification are made to the object records,selecting the tab labeled “Publish/Unpublish” will update those recordsfor the connection. This functionality is discussed in more detail inthe next section.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 6, a connection history is provided. Theconnection history allows for audit tracking of changes made with thatconnection. This may be useful to track which data has been modified andby whom the modification is made. After a connection has been made andone or more objects have been identified for sharing (along with themapping the shared/published fields), the subscribers can share specificinstances (records) of the shared object.

Sharing Product Objects

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 for sharing informationaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. In one aspect,method 700 may be performed after a connection has already beenestablished between two subscribers, e.g. via updating a template forthat connection and/or sending an additional invitation to share datawith that connection.

In step 701, data related to a product is received at an on-demand database system from a first of the subscribers, e.g. a tenant in amulti-tenant database. A subscriber may be a one organization of acompany, with another subscriber being another organization within thesame company.

In step 702, a product object is created from the data and stored in asection of the database reserved for the user, or first subscriber. Aproduct object is a database object that can include information relatedto a product that a business entity, for example, makes, sells, or uses.Typical fields of the object include a SKU #, a price, and adescription. In one embodiment, the product object is created in asection of the on-demand database that is accessibly restricted to thefirst subscriber. For example, a section may be part of a table to whichusers of anther subscriber cannot read, write, or change data stored inthat section.

In step 703, a request to share the product object with one or moresecond subscribers is received from the user, or first subscriber andcommunicated to the second subscribers, or connections of the user. Therequest may be made as a default operation based on properties of theproduct object. In one aspect, the request may be made as a one-clickoption.

In step 704, an acceptance of a second subscriber is received. Theacceptance of the second subscriber may also be automated based on rulesspecified by the second subscriber. For example, the second subscribermay allow an automatic acceptance from a particular first party, andpotentially one associated with a particular deal or opportunity, whichmay have already been shared.

In step 705, data associated with the product object is stored in asection of the on-demand data base that is reserved for the secondsubscriber. In this manner, employees of the second subscriber may haveaccess to the product object created by the first subscriber in a mannerconsistent with a product object of the second subscriber. In oneembodiment, the data is a copy of the product object, with the databeing linked. In another embodiment, there may be one copy of theproduct object with pointers to the data being stored at the secondsubscriber.

In step 706, changes made to the product object are synchronized betweenthe two subscribers. For example, if the first subscriber is a vendorand the second subscriber is a supplier, the first subscriber can changethe number of products ordered by changing the product object. Thenumber of products ordered as seen by the second subscriber isautomatically updated.

Although method 700 is described for sharing a product object,embodiments can also provide sharing any other type of object or otherinformation in a supply chain.

FIG. 8A shows a screenshot of an embodiment where a first subscriber, oruser, may select objects to “Publish/Unpublish” 801 with a connection.As shown in FIG. 8B, the user has the ability to add or remove sharedobjects. If a new object is added, when the user clicks on the “save”tab 802, the object and allowed fields will be mapped, or defined in aconnection's in the shared connection's database and the recordsassociated with those object and fields will also be mapped to theconnection's database according to the object and field structure.However, this only occurs if the connection is still subscribing tothose connections. If an object is removed, the connection will nolonger received updates or any other information regarding that object.As discussed previously, these objects may be standard or usercustomized objects. In addition, the selection of these objects may bepre-defined through the customized connection template.

In another embodiment, only certain fields are shared and may bemodified at any time. The user selects to “edit” 803 a specific objectin order to change the fields provided for that object. As shown in FIG.8C, the user, or first subscriber may select (publish) fields to share.In another embodiment, certain fields may be required dependent on theobject and may provided as a standard within that object type. The userselected fields may then be saved and shared with the connection.

In another embodiment, the user may select (subscribe) to objects sharedby a connection. As shown in FIG. 9A, the subscribed objects include allrecords that are published by a second subscriber, or partner with thefirst subscriber, or user. However, the user may also elect to notreceive update and/or any records pertaining to a partner's sharedobject even though the partner has published the object. This may occurif the partner is using a specific template to publish objects to auser, and certain objects within that template do not apply to thebusiness relationship between the user and that partner. Accordingly,the user has the ability to customize their database with specificsubscribed objects. FIG. 9B, show an exemplary screenshot of how thesubscribed objects may be mapped to the user's object within theirdatabase. Though standard objects are provided within the system, a userand partner may also have customized names given to specific objectsthat relate to each other.

FIG. 9A provides an embodiment where the user may elect to automaticallyaccept subscribed objects from a connection. through the“subscribe/unsubscribe” tab 901. FIG. 9B shows the auto accept 902feature, which may be selected for each object to which the usersubscribes and will be automatically mapped to the object locationwithin the user's database when that object is shared by a connection.Selecting the auto-accept feature allows the records, or instances ofthat object to be automatically mapped into a connections' database. Ifa child record is shared by a connection, or partner organization, thechild record is associated automatically with a parent record andentered into the first subscriber's database. However, if a record isshared as a child of another record, then it may not be automaticallyinserted until the parent record is manually or automatically acceptedfirst.

Referring back to FIG. 9A, the user may decided to customize fields of asubscribed object. Similar to field modification on published object,this is be done by selecting the “edit” link 903 next to a particularsubscribed object. As shown in FIG. 9C, when the fields are selected,the user also has the ability to manually map the fields to those withintheir database. This may be necessary if fields are customized, having adifferent name, and/or if an auto-number or lookup/reference field needsto be mapped to text field. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9C,the user may elect to automatically map 904 the subscribed fields tofields within their database. This feature may compare field namesand/or data in those fields to correctly map the fields. In addition, ifa user deselects this features, the fields will no longer be mapped toeach other unless the user manually selects each mapping.

In some embodiments, the subscribed objects may require certain fieldsto be shared. Accordingly, these fields may be not be modifiable andprovided as standard fields for that subscribed object.

The ability to update and map fields within connections may also allowfor flexible process integration between connections by picklist valuemapping. For example, one field of an object for a first tenant may be apicklist that has multiple values (e.g. 1-10). This field may alsocorrespond to a picklist for the corresponding object of the othertenant. However, the picklist values may be different (e.g. 1-5). Amapping can be created to map the one set of picklist values to theother picklist values. As shown in FIG. 9C, an “edit value” link may belocated next to specific fields which have multiple values for mapping.As shown in FIG. 9C, an “edit value” link may be located next tospecific fields which have multiple values for mapping. When this linkis selected, the mapping of the subscribed fields to the user's fieldsmay provide real-time updates.

Products can be shared either as a member of the parent record (e.g.Account), individually or en-masse using a ‘Forward to Connections’ linkon the Products list view. Accordingly, the products may be forwardedmultiple connections and share thousands of records with thoseconnections. Again, when a product or parent record is shared allselected child records are also forwarded to those connections. In oneembodiment, limitations on the amount of child records forwarded may berequired.

In one aspect, only a record may be shared or forwarded In anotherembodiment, a record related to shared parent may be also be forwarded.Accordingly, a record and related child records may be forwardedtogether. In order to forward a record, the user is provided with arelated list of available connections to which a record may be sent.Only objects published to and subscribed by at least one connection aremade available within the related lists. In addition, objects such astasks, attachments, and opportunity products may be shared whenforwarding an opportunity to a connection. In order to forward therecords, the user needs to own the record, i.e. the user may not forwardall shared records unless having permissions to do so. Administratorsmay forward all records. The user may customize which parent and childrecords to forward, dependent on the connection with whom they areshared.

Alternatively, the user may elect to individually share related records,of a shared parent record. In this embodiment, the user opens the sharedparent record details and forwards the record via the “ManageConnections” link, which was previously described. Forwarding theserecords may only be done through users with connections permissions andfor records owned by the user. In one embodiment, on the related list,if the parent is not shared, the ‘Manage Connections’ link is not shown.

Furthermore, a record related to shared parent and shared related childrecords may be forwarded as long as the parent record has been accepted.When any related child record is shared, the record is automaticallyrelated to the parent record within the connection's records. If arelationship cannot be established between a shared child record withina partner, or recipient's account, the recipient may need to manuallyaccept the record and provide a parent record name.

In some embodiments, the user may wish to manually accept parentrecords. In such embodiments, the user may choose to create a customizedlist view of the shared parent records by applying filters to therecords received from connections. Accordingly, when records are shared,they arrive in a the user's inbox in a list view specified by the user.This customization may only be performed if an object has beensubscribed to by at least one connection of the user. As describedpreviously, if an auto accept is selected for the shared objects with aconnection, the shared objects, or records related thereto will not beshown to the user.

In a further embodiment, the user may assign rules to the shared recordsupon acceptance of that record. This may be particularly useful when anew lead record is shared and the user wants to assign that lead to aparticular record within their account, or another user within theirorganization. The assignment rules may be established and automaticallyprovided, or manually choosen by the user when the lead is accepted.

In another embodiment, if a user manually accepts an opportunity from aconnection, the user may choose to assign the opportunity to a relatedrecord within their database or a new or existing account oropportunity.

In a further embodiment, when an account is shared from a partner, maychoose to create a new account or link the new account to an existingaccount. Further, the user may also assign the account to a contactwithin their organization.

In another embodiment, if a new contact is shared, the user may manuallyassign that contact to an existing account within their database, createa new account and assign the contact to a user within the organization.The option to assign a contact is only available if the contact is notassociated with an existing account, i.e. it is not a child record.

Accordingly, in the instance when a user manually accepts a parentrecord, different fields may be made available during acceptance,dependent on the type of parent record shared. If the user chooses tomanually accept a parent record, then record may be assigned to aspecific records existing on the database.

In a further embodiment, the user may also share attachments associatedwith a product object with one or more connections. These attachmentsare stored similar to a child record and may be forwarded and/orpublished when other object related fields and/or data is modified andupdated.

In order for a user to have increased visibility of the records shared,the page layout may be customized to provide an external related listslink, which shows details of the records shared. FIG. 10A shows anexemplary screenshot of this link in a user's profile. This additionalsection should not be added to profiles that do not have the “manageconnections” permission. The related lists section allows for users toview lists related to different records of an object being shared withtheir connections. Objects may be leads, opportunities, accounts,contacts, task, product catalogs and opportunity products, cases, andany other customized object created by the user. Each object has listsrelating to the records of the object, such as the history of theobject, activities pertaining to the object and status regarding theobject, etc. may be provided. Adding an “External Sharing” list sectiondisplays connections with whom the records of an object are beingshared. Once this section is added to the related list section, a usermay view the current connections sharing that object information andmanually terminate sharing with that connection 1002. FIG. 10B shows anExternal Sharing Related list supporting multiple Active (sent)connections. When the sharing is terminated in this list 1002, all priorinformation shared to the user's partner is still made available to thepartner. However, all updates pertaining to that particular object areterminated. Thus, the user may no longer receive and/or send updateswith that particular connection.

FIG. 10C provides an entire screenshot of what may be seen by the userof the system when the “external sharing” section is added to a sharedobject page. In this embodiment, the object is only shared with oneconnection. In one embodiment, the ‘Forward this Object’ link 1003 willalso be available even if the record has already been forwarded andshared with another connection (i.e. already have Active(sent) status).When the object is forwarded to another connection, only the publishedfields are forwarded. Accordingly, the fields relating to an entireobject may not be shared with an established connection and arecustomizable by the owner of that object.

In an alternative embodiment, the object may be forwarded and sharedwith a new connection if the owner of that connection is changed 1004.

Another modification that may be desirable in the related lists sectionis the addition of both a received and a sent connection column. Theuser may simply select “edit properties” of the related lists, and addfields to this section. By adding these two additional fields, the usermay be able to quickly view the connection whom sent a record of anobject (“received connection name”) as well as forward a record to oneor more connections (“sent connection name”). This allows a user toshare any related record within a shared object as well as individualtasks and opportunity products. The user does not have to update and/orshare an entire object in order for a particular record to be forwardedto a partner. Additionally, the user may easily view who is responsiblefor sharing a particular record when more than one record is availableregarding a particular object shared.

In an exemplary embodiment, when sharing a product, a ‘Product fromConnections’ view can include the following fields: Connection Name,Sent Date, Product Name, Product Code, Product Family and Parent RecordName. In one aspect, the Parent Record Name is set if the Product isshared as a child of another record and is populated with the name ofthe parent record including type of object (e.g. Account: Acme). Thismay occur when an entire parent (e.g. an account) is shared, with theproduct object being shared as a child of the parent object.

The system first tries to insert the product and relate it to the sharedparent record, however in some circumstances it may not be possible tocommit this relationship at which time the product record will bevisible in this view.

In one embodiment, the user may create multiple views using the criteriaabove and assign the same views to multiple internal users using roleassignments. In another embodiment, if a product is shared by the userto a partner (e.g. a subscriber to which an object is shared), theconnection owner in the partners organization receives an emailnotification.

If a product is shared as a parent, then the partner may accept theproduct using the ‘Products from Connections’ view described above. Inone aspect, a requirement may be to either create a new product or linkto an existing product. In another aspect, there may be no ‘Owner’assignment requirements since products may not have an owner.

In one embodiment, product reports can be created using custom reporttypes (CRT's). Using these reports users can see which products havebeen shared and updated by a connection. These reports can be run onspecific data in fields such as accounts and contacts, opportunities,funds, etc. For example, a report may be run on a “Connections withAccounts” under the “Accounts and Contacts” data type. The report typesmay be additionally customized by the user, dependent on the customizedobjects within the user's account.

In another embodiment, validation rules can apply to Products as well.Users can use “Received Connection Name/ID” along with “Current UserAlias contains pnet” to ignore validation rules when the product isshared with a connection. A user can use “Received Connection Name” and“Current User contains pnet” to run workflow rules. “Received ConnectionName” and “Sent Connection Name” are available to create filter listviews to show all products shared with one or more connections.

Finally, a user may wish to share a product catalog with a connection.In this embodiment, the product catalog may be manually accepted as aparent record, with assignment fields generated specifically for productcatalog. If the catalog is a child record of an account, no acceptanceis required by the user. If shared, a product catalog may includestandard fields such as quantity schedules and revenue schedules.

In one embodiment, if “Quantity Schedules” (a field of the productobject) are enabled and a customer is subscribing to the “QuantitySchedule” fields, then the user should ensure that all fields aresubscribed to the same quantity schedule fields. For example, apartner's “Number of Quantity Installments” can be mapped to the user's“Number of Quantity Installments.” Other fields that are affectedinclude Quantity Installment Period, Quantity Installment Period &Quantity Scheduling Enabled, which may be mapped as well.

In another embodiment, if “Revenue Schedules” are enabled and the useris subscribing to the “Revenue Schedule” fields then the user shouldensure all fields are subscribed to the same revenue schedule fields.For example, a partner's “Number of Revenue Installments” can be mappedto the user's “Number of Revenue Installments.” Other fields affectedinclude Revenue Installment Period, Revenue Schedule Type & RevenueScheduling Enabled.

As an example of implementation, hi-tech hardware vendors can sharetheir product SKU's with resellers and distributors who in-turn can havethe latest and greatest information when registering a deal for a newprospect. Enabling these features allows vendors and partners to havereal-time, in-sync product information while at the same time allowpartners to register opportunities with the right product SKU'sattached.

Also, users can share formula and roll-up summary fields withconnections. With the availability of this feature, embodiments supportall the major standard and custom field types. For example, a resellermay be selling products from multiple vendors on the same opportunityand only show the applicable amount to each vendor. Using RSF (roll-upsummary) the reseller could share the right amount with each vendorbased on the product sold.

In one embodiment in Error Logging, if an insert (accept) or updatefails either due to system down, validation failure or uniquenessconstraint then the following is logged in the Connection audit: Object(id if available) & Message. A task/email may be created for the“connection owner” for the target organization with the audit details inthe subject.

In one embodiment, if the error takes place while accepting a recordusing the UI the user is given a message: ‘Failed to Accept one or morerecords since Validation or Uniqueness constraint was not met: check theconnection audit trail for more details.

Similar to sharing product objects, other types of objects may be sharedbetween connections. These objects may be related.

Sharing Opportunity Objects

In some embodiments, data related to a product object and an opportunitycan be shared. An opportunity is a business opportunity (e.g. a deal)between two or more subscribers of the on-demand database service.

Opportunity Products are similar to Detail objects but in this case arerelated to both Opportunities (master) as well as the Product object. Inone embodiment, the quantity is a required field to be shared (e.g.published and subscribed).

Opportunity Products can be shared either as a member of the parentopportunity or individually using the “Manage Connections” link on theConnection Sent column. In either case, the opportunity product may beautomatically associated to the parent opportunity in the targetorganization (e.g. the second subscriber). In one embodiment, theopportunity product is not shared on its own.

In one embodiment, the following rules are adhered to when sharing anopportunity product. The Opportunity is shared with the targetconnection(s), e.g. the second subscriber. Opportunity product ispublished and subscribed to the target organization. The related productis also be shared with the same target organization. The price book onthe target organization's opportunity has the product to which theopportunity product is related to. If one or more of the requirementsabove is not met, the opportunity product is not be shared with thetarget organization.

In another embodiment, there is no manual acceptance required forOpportunity Products. The records are automatically associated to theparent opportunity. In other words, the acceptance is automatic, forexample, as set or hardwired by code.

In addition, opportunity product reports can be created using CRT's asdiscussed previously. Additionally, the “Opportunity with Products” and“Opportunity with Products and Schedules” reports should be modified toinclude the “Connection” table so that the user can see all opportunityproducts shared with one or more connections.

Validation Rules apply to Opportunity Products as well. A user can use“Received Connection Name/ID” along with “Current User Alias containspnet” to ignore validation rules when the opportunity product is sharedwith a connection. A user can use “Received Connection Name” and“Current User Alias contains pnet” to run workflow rules. In oneembodiment, there are no list views for Opportunity Products.

One to Many Sharing

An object may be shared from one subscriber to many second subscribersby selecting a link on that product object detail page. For example, theproduct object may be an account, a lead, an opportunity or other objectrecited in the disclosure. Accordingly, a vendor can share the sameopportunity downstream with an ISV partner, reseller, distributor andupstream with the supplier. While the downstream partners are workingtogether to close the deal, the supplier has real-time information onproduct requirements, close dates and stage enabling the supplier tosource the right parts at the right time. One to many (1:Many) willenable a host of use cases including consulting companies bidding forthe same project (e.g. EDS and IBM), and user master use cases.

Another example is where a new deal where the CM needs to collaboratewith the local reseller as well as the consulting partner to close adeal with a user. At the same time, the CM may want to providevisibility upstream to the supplier who needs to be aware of when theopportunity will close so that the supplier can make the requisiteorders and ensure the shipping company is notified of the new user. Allthis real-time automatic co-ordination is now possible with 1:Many. Forexample, a vendor can share with a Distributor, Supplier, Reseller, anda Solution Provider.

Therefore, the advantages of having database connections is thatreal-time updates and data can be communication between users, such asvendors, resellers, manufacturers and other agencies. Each user may haveaccess to shared records from other partners in the business supplychain. In addition, embodiments can allow a user to share the samerecord with multiple business partners at the same time. This featurecan be key to collaborative selling. As described above, these recordsare automatically kept in synch and may even be audited, if desired bythe user of an account. Accordingly, users can keep track of the changedrecord as well as easily receive and send updates to/from multiplepartners regarding that record in a timely manner and without additionalcommunication steps required.

Queues

In one embodiment, related items may be shared when a record isforwarded after being assigned to a queue containing connections asmembers. For example, the record may be a mass lead, case or a customobject and may be sent to a queue when no partner connection isestablished. Accordingly, the record is made available to the nextmember of the queue. To this end, a setup option may enable sharing therelated record when a record is forwarded due to queue assignment. Thiscan apply to all connections and all types of objects that queuessupport. If the above is set, then anytime a record is forwarded due toqueue assignment all the related records that are published to the otherorganizations should also be forwarded after the parent record has beenaccepted.

API Access

In one embodiment, users can write Apex (or other application code) andautomatically share/stop sharing records based on changes to one or morefields on a record. For example, for an API Forward, the user canforward a record as a parent, forward a parent and child records theuser has access to, and forward a child that is linked to a sharedparent.

For an API Method, the following function interface may be used:forwardToConnection(Id, Map <Child Object Names>, Parent Record ID). Inone embodiment, only Id is required, with everything else beingoptional. In one aspect, if the child is supplied, then this acts as adeep share of parent with children. In another aspect, if the parentrecord Id is supplied, this acts as deep share of child with parent alsoshared (this will support 2 levels of sharing).

For API Stop Sharing, the following function interface may be used: APIMethod: stopSharingWithConnection (Id, Inbound Connection Id, Map<Outbound Connection Ids>). In one embodiment, only Id is required. Inone aspect, if this is supplied while the others are empty then bothinbound and outbound are disconnected. In another aspect, if one orother (inbound and/or outbound) is supplied then only that connection isdisconnected (i.e. inbound or outbound)

In one embodiment, users can write intelligent rules when the sharingstatus on a record changes (e.g. Lead has been converted by partnerorganization—automatically convert lead into opportunity and share thatopportunity back with the partner). External Sharing Related list may bemade api available.

Accordingly, an administrator can auto-share any record. For example,based on specific criteria the administrator can automatically share anaccount and associated opportunities, contacts and tasks with multiplepartners. Using an Apex trigger or even the excel connector/data loaderthe admin can make this happen.

Also, in one embodiment, users can use Apex triggers, custom code orother options including the excel connector and data loader toautomatically share records with one or more connections. The new APImethods can also be used to stop sharing with one or more connections. Abenefit of this feature is two fold: users can define custom criteria toshare/stop share records and partners can build applications triggerings2s functionality and make this available on the AppExchange.

It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention asdescribed above can be implemented in the form of control logic usinghardware and/or using computer software in a modular or integratedmanner. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, a personof ordinary skill in the art will know and appreciate other ways and/ormethods to implement the present invention using hardware and acombination of hardware and software

Any of the software components or functions described in thisapplication, may be implemented as software code to be executed by aprocessor using any suitable computer language such as, for example,Java, C++ or Perl using, for example, conventional or object-orientedtechniques. The software code may be stored as a series of instructions,or commands on a computer readable medium for storage and/ortransmission, suitable media include random access memory (RAM), a readonly memory (ROM), a magnetic medium such as a hard-drive or a floppydisk, or an optical medium such as a compact disk (CD) or DVD (digitalversatile disk), flash memory, and the like. The computer readablemedium may be any combination of such storage or transmission devices.

Such programs may also be encoded and transmitted using carrier signalsadapted for transmission via wired, optical, and/or wireless networksconforming to a variety of protocols, including the Internet. As such, acomputer readable medium according to an embodiment of the presentinvention may be created using a data signal encoded with such programs.Computer readable media encoded with the program code may be packagedwith a compatible device or provided separately from other devices(e.g., via Internet download). Any such computer readable medium mayreside on or within a single computer program product (e.g. a hard driveor an entire computer system), and may be present on or within differentcomputer program products within a system or network. A computer systemmay include a monitor, printer, or other suitable display for providingany of the results mentioned herein to a user.

The above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdescribed, and many modifications and variations are possible in lightof the teaching above. The embodiments were chosen and described inorder to best explain the principles of the invention and its practicalapplications to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilizethe invention in various embodiments and with various modifications asare suited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: maintaining, by a multi-tenant database system, first data in a first section of the multi-tenant database system reserved for a first tenant comprising at least a group of users and second data in a second section of the multi-tenant database system reserved for a second tenant comprising at least a different group of users, wherein the first data includes a first object, wherein the second tenant does not have access to the first object via the multi-tenant database system, and wherein the multi-tenant database system is remotely located from the groups of users associated with the first and second tenants; in response to receiving, from the first tenant, a request to send a connection request to establish a connection with the second tenant, the multi-tenant database system sending the connection request to the second tenant, wherein the connection request specifies one or more data fields of the first object to be shared; in response to receiving an acceptance of the connection request from the second tenant, establishing the connection between the first tenant and the second tenant; creating, by the multi-tenant database system, a second object in the second section of the multi-tenant database system; and responsive to a change made to the specified one or more data fields of the first object in the first section, updating, by the multi-tenant database system, one or more data fields of the second object stored in the second section.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: synchronizing, by the multi-tenant database system, a change made to the second object in the second section by updating the first object stored in the first section.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the multi-tenant database system and from the first tenant, customization information, wherein the multi-tenant database system customizes the connection request using the customization information.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the customization information includes a selected data field of the first object, and wherein changes made to the first object are made via the selected data field.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating the second object includes: comparing a first data field of the first object to the one or more data fields of the second object; and based on the comparing, mapping the first data field to a corresponding second data field of the second object without further user input.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the first data corresponds to the first data field, and wherein at least a portion of the second data corresponds to the corresponding second data field.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first data field and the corresponding second data field correspond to a name associated with the first object and the second object.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second object is a copy of the first object.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object includes one or more pointers to the second object stored in the second section of the multi-tenant database system.
 10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer instructions stored thereon that are executable by a multi-tenant database system to cause operations comprising: maintaining first data in a first section of the multi-tenant database system reserved for a first tenant comprising at least a group of users and second data in a second section of the multi-tenant database system reserved for a second tenant comprising at least a different group of users, wherein the first data includes a first object, wherein the second tenant does not have access to the first object via the multi-tenant database system, and wherein the multi-tenant database system is remotely located from the groups of users associated with the first and second tenants; in response to receiving, from the first tenant, a request to send a connection request to establish a connection with the second tenant, the multi-tenant database system sending the connection request to the second tenant, wherein the connection request specifies one or more data fields of the first object to be shared; in response to receiving an acceptance of the connection request from the second tenant, establishing the connection between the first tenant and the second tenant; creating a second object in the second section of the multi-tenant database system; and responsive to a change made to the specified one or more data fields of the first object in the first section, updating one or more data fields of the second object stored in the second section.
 11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise: storing first privilege information associated with the first tenant, wherein the first privilege information indicates one or more actions that the first tenant is authorized to take, wherein the sending the connection request is further in response to the multi-tenant database system determining that the first tenant is authorized to send the connection request according to the first privilege information.
 12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the connection request is customized with information specific to an entity associated with the first tenant.
 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the connection request indicates a plurality of fields associated with the first object that the first tenant has selected to share with the second tenant.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of fields are associated with the second object, and wherein an update to the second object via one of the plurality of fields synchronizes to the first object.
 15. A multi-tenant database system comprising: a hardware processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory has computer instructions stored thereon that are executable by the multi-tenant database system to cause operations comprising: storing first data related to a first object in a first section of the multi-tenant database system, wherein the first section is reserved for a first tenant of the multi-tenant database system, wherein the first tenant comprises at least a group of users; storing second data in a second section of the multi-tenant database system, wherein the second section is reserved for a second tenant of the multi-tenant database system, wherein the second tenant comprises at least a different group of users, wherein the second tenant does not have access to the first object stored in the first section of the multi-tenant database system, and wherein the multi-tenant database system is remotely located from the groups of users associated with the first and second tenants; in response to receiving, from the first tenant, a request to send a connection request to the second tenant of the multi-tenant database system, sending the connection request to the second tenant, wherein the connection request specifies one or more data fields of the first object to be shared; in response to receiving an acceptance of the connection request from the second tenant, establishing a connection between the first tenant and the second tenant; creating a second object in the second section of the multi-tenant database system; and responsive to a change made to the specified one or more data fields of the first object in the first section, updating one or more data fields of the second object stored in the second section.
 16. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the first object is a product object and wherein the first data includes one or more of the following data items: stock keeping unit (SKU) number, price, description.
 17. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: storing connection request rules associated with the second tenant in the second section, wherein the connection request rules at least indicate how to respond to the received connection request.
 18. The multi-tenant database system of claim 17, wherein the connection request rules indicate that a connection request received from a particular tenant will be accepted by default.
 19. The multi-tenant database system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, from the first tenant, an indication that the first tenant has selected a third object to share with the second tenant.
 20. The multi-tenant database system of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise: automatically creating a fourth object in the second section, wherein the creating the fourth object establishes a connection between the third object and the fourth object. 